Official: Mike Maccagnan new GM

LIJETFAN wrote:I have no idea what role Gene Smith would play. My general opinion is that he doesn't have a good track record in Jacksonsville obviously which is a red flag. But if he is not making draft choices or evaluating talent and doing something else, he might be fine.

He could handle the cap/contract negotiations. It was said that the Jets were looking for an experienced front office executive for that role.

LIJETFAN wrote:I have no idea what role Gene Smith would play. My general opinion is that he doesn't have a good track record in Jacksonsville obviously which is a red flag. But if he is not making draft choices or evaluating talent and doing something else, he might be fine.

He could handle the cap/contract negotiations. It was said that the Jets were looking for an experienced front office executive for that role.

his background is definitely more on the scouting/personnel side, and his track record in Jax leaves a lot to be desired.

now he may have some experience with contracts and the cap as an ex-GM, but he hardly seems to be some cap expert.

I wasn't sure because Dominik's background is scouting/personnel as well. However, unlike Macc, Smith/Dominik have experience negotiating contracts and dealing with the cap. From wiki.......

"Dominik joined the Buccaneers staff in June 1995 as an assistant in the "pro personnel" department; He rose to Pro Scout in 1998, then Coordinator of Pro Personnel in 2000. As Director of Pro Personnel, Dominik's duties included overseeing the scouting, recruiting and signing efforts of all NFL players, while also monitoring NFL transactions and overseeing player tryouts. He was also in charge of the pro personnel department's evaluation of players in all other professional football leagues, including the Canadian Football League and the Arena Football League, while being responsible for the negotiation and signing of contracts for several free agents and NFL Draft signings.Prior to the start of the 2001 season, Dominik began the first of his eight years as Director of Pro Personnel. In 2002, the franchise won its first world championship, a Super Bowl XXXVII victory over the Oakland Raiders."

Unlike his predecessor, Mike Maccagnan is planning to take an aggressive approach in free agency.

"Building through the draft is ideally what I'd like to do, but we'll very active in free agency," the New York Jets' new general manager said Tuesday via the team.

Maccagnan, who will be formally introduced with Todd Bowles in an 11 a.m. news conference Wednesday, touched briefly on his team-building philosophy. He said his objective is to fill "some" needs in free agency, allowing him to take a best-available-player approach to the draft -- basically, the Mike Tannenbaum model.

John Idzik tried it a different way, emphasizing the draft and using free agency as a supplement. That didn't work out so well.

Before we anoint Maccagnan as Spender Mike, it's important to note that he's required to dole out a lot of money. There's something called the "89 percent Rule."

The collective bargaining agreement requires teams to spend 89 percent of the salary cap in cash over four-year periods, from 2013 to 2016 and 2017 to 2020. In 2014, the Jets were 30th in spending ($106.295 million) and are below the 89-percent threshold since 2013 at 84.56 percent, according to CBSSports.com.

In other words, the Jets probably will have to spend a good chunk of the projected $40 million in cap space to remain on track for compliance. ----------------------

While I won't pepper the 2015 Free Agency thread with "SIGN THIS BEAST" posts, I am glad to hear that Macc is going to use any and all means at his disposal to improve this team. There are holes aplenty needin' fillin', and using free agency smartly is a great way to address them and leave the team in a position to go BPA in the draft. Idzik's stubborn refusal to address roster weaknesses adequately was his biggest failure as a GM. The NFL is a competitive situation, and other teams use FA, so why wouldn't we? Glad to hear we're going to compete.

Sources: Jets have spoken to Bears scout Rex Hogan for Director of College Scouting position. I'm told the job is his if he wants it

Don't know anything about him besides we got ourselves another Rex in the house.

He specializes in scouting the SEC and lives 10 minutes from Vanderbilt.

"Hogan has a unique edge scouting the Southeastern Conference program that's traditionally known more for its brains than its brawn on the football field. His wife, Christy, is an academic counselor for the athletic department. While most would suggest a team is better off building its roster from traditional powers such as Florida (50 players in the NFL), Georgia (62) or LSU (58)."

I already like Maccagnan. He's committing to using FA to build the team (although it's somewhat out of his control with the cap requirements), but he's suggesting that the draft is the real way to build long term success. I'm sensing he'll sign FA's without the desire to win headlines in NY. Sign players who fit the system. Don't sign players who are basing their salary demands on what they did three years ago.

Sources: Jets have spoken to Bears scout Rex Hogan for Director of College Scouting position. I'm told the job is his if he wants it

Don't know anything about him besides we got ourselves another Rex in the house.

He specializes in scouting the SEC and lives 10 minutes from Vanderbilt.

"Hogan has a unique edge scouting the Southeastern Conference program that's traditionally known more for its brains than its brawn on the football field. His wife, Christy, is an academic counselor for the athletic department. While most would suggest a team is better off building its roster from traditional powers such as Florida (50 players in the NFL), Georgia (62) or LSU (58)."